


Beautiful Scales

by fxntasia



Series: K-Pop Short Story Collection [6]
Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Deja Vu, Fantasy, Hope, Other, curse, dragon guardian - Freeform, dragon hunter - Freeform, scales - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24723817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxntasia/pseuds/fxntasia
Summary: Kang Chanhee was cursed upon the dragon guardian after his father mercilessly slayed the ignis dragon. He didn’t know he became this creature, until one night he is chained and encounters someone that seems so... familiar to him. Someone who swears, despite not knowing him, would protect him became a human life is more valuable than one of a dragon
Series: K-Pop Short Story Collection [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785202
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Beautiful Scales

**_Fairy tales don’t always have to end up happy with love. Sometimes, it is better when someone just accepts you for how you are, what you’ve become..._ **

_ Why do I have to be here?  _ Chanhee stared out the window-sill, his chin rested upon his palm while his elbow was propped against the wooden platform. He hated this feeling, not knowing why he was suddenly shoved inside an isolated tower attached to the castle, where he had some freedom. His source of freedom was the very top of the turret, where he could get some fresh air. He could get up there with the use of the ladder and the trapdoor, and he would just sit there and stare out towards the village. 

His friends were forced to stop visiting him, which he doesn’t have the reason as to why this occurred still. He would ask his father, but he would get no answer but a sigh and a sorrowful gaze that would quickly glance away from him. 

Eventually, not even his father dared to enter - only dropping the food off at the door with a knock, and he would leave without a word. 

It was upsetting.

Yet, one night, he heard it. 

He heard the shouts of a man, a man who would come and go as he pleases every few days. 

“KING KANG IS A MURDERER!!!! Having murdered the beautiful dragon of  _ ignis _ !!” The man would shout. “He’s killed an innocent creature! A creature who wouldn’t dare hurt a fly!!” 

However, the people would retaliate: “That dragon was a disturbance and a terrorizing monster.” 

But the man would yell, “His son will become the monster.”

That… made Chanhee question everything: from the day he got locked up, the memories he couldn’t remember ever since, his father’s sudden silence… that man who kept shouting things. 

***

Chanhee could not feel himself lay on the bed, he kept stiffened puffs and achened arms. He felt restrained although he knew, or he remembered, he was on his bed. He kept his eyes closed shut, but he knew he couldn’t sleep. He merely hoped he would. He opened his eyes, groaning, but he found himself with chains against the grass. 

He saw a boy around his age, a boy he swore he’d seen before, looking down at him with a smirk. “They said there was no dragon, but we found one. Those people are stupid.” 

_ Dragon?  _ Chanhee began to panic. 

The boy’s eyes widened, tightening the chains, “Easy now, big boy.” 

Chanhee tried to yell at them, telling them they were hurting him, but he couldn’t speak. All he heard was a vicious growl escape his lips. 

“He’s hostile.” Chanhee heard another voice, his eyes widening as he saw the man who kept shouting accusations at his father. 

“You were the dragon’s guardian, weren’t you?” The boy asked. 

“Before I answer, what is your name?” The guardian asked.

“Youngkyun.” 

“Youngkyun, yes, you are correct. I was the guardian. I had been protecting that lineage of  _ ignis _ dragons for centuries, until that bastard of a king came and slayed it himself while it slept. How will he feel once his own flesh and blood, his own son, becomes a monster himself?” The man laughed dryly, his hand gently pressing against the side of the dragon they kept chained, “Oh, boy, this is all your father’s fault.” 

Chanhee was at loss for breath, at loss for words and thoughts. He was the dragon? It had to be a joke. He couldn’t be the dragon- he grit his teeth, pressing his lips together into a thin line as he felt something slash against his back, whimpering out in pain. 

Youngkyun’s eyes widened, pulling the dragon guardian away, “He’s a living person! It surely hurts him! What drove you to do this to him???” 

“The king deserves to feel what it is like to lose someone.” The guardian sank his fingers deep into the cut he made against the dragon’s back, slowly raising it up to let the moonlight clash against it. The red liquid slowly dripped back down. “This fresh blood deserves to die as much as the dragon I cared for was brutally killed without hesitation.” 

“N-Not today, right?” Youngkyun asked quickly, feeling terrible for prince Chanhee. 

“No. It will happen when it happens," said the dragon guardian, leaving Youngkyun with Chanhee.

Youngkyun sighed, hesitantly placing his palm against the head of the dragon, against Chanhee, murmuring, "I didn't know you were a person… I'm just a knight from another kingdom, who needed the extra loot and became a dragon hunter… you shouldn't be killed like this.” He gently loosened the chains, dragging Chanhee to another area - somewhere where they wouldn't be found. 

Once they were hidden from eye’s view, Youngkyun unchained him, murmuring, “Please don’t go anywhere… your life doesn’t deserve to end up like the  _ ignis _ dragon, okay? I won’t hurt you because I value human life much more than a dragon's life.” 

Those words reminded Chanhee of someone he knew long ago, but the sheer thought of remembering pained him - making him get a headache. He didn’t respond; he simply continued to listen. 

Youngkyun softly pressed his back against the dragon’s side, feeling his breath calm down and become steady. “Everything will be okay, okay?” He whispered gently. “I’ll make sure of it. You can stay here…,” He yawned, “and stay with me, and we can become friends, or close friends—heck! Even best friends.” 

Chanhee acted without another thought, sleep overcoming him, and he moved his arm as he was about to hug Youngkyun. However, he knew it was his wing covering the boy protectively, but he didn’t mind. 

Youngkyun soon fell asleep, murmuring softly before he did, “I’ll make sure you don’t get killed by that man.” 

Chanhee felt strange beside the boy, feeling a sense of deja vu but didn’t question it. He simply closed his eyes, wondering why Youngkyun cared so much about him when he was just… a stranger to him. He didn’t think too much, for he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He didn’t want to believe this was all true. Maybe it was all just a weird dream? That seems better. Maybe he’s imagining everything, maybe…

Once early morning came, Youngkyun awoke to the feeling of cold arms around him. He blinked sleepily, grunting - yawning shakily as he looked to his side. There was a boy with broken scales stuck out of his skin, beautiful scales that seemingly shimmered with the sunlight. He hadn’t noticed that last night. He wished he had. 

The boy was clung onto him, his head tucked against his arm. He carefully took in the boy and placed him on his lap, running his fingers eloquently through his hair - gently tugging at the knots. “He must be tired.” He murmured under his breath, hearing the light snores escape his lips. 

He plucked at the scales, finding them easy to remove, and he pocketed them. He saw the boy stir a little, seeing his eyes open sleepily.

“Where…?” Chanhee was overcome by a yawn.

“Hey, I’m Youngkyun!” He smiled. “You’re…?”

“Y-Youngkyun…? A-Ah! I-I’m Chanhee… I honestly thought I was dreaming…, but I guess I am a dragon at night.” He sighed, burying his face in his palms, muffling himself, “What am I going to do? I’ve been bringing chaos to the village without knowing it.” 

“Hey, look. We may not know each other, but you can stick with me! I don’t mind, and I’d love the company.” Youngkyun said. 

“...But no one’s ever wanted to be with me anymore,” Chanhee said. 

“Why not?” Youngkyun tilted his eyes, his eyes sparked with curiosity. 

“Well, for one, my father prohibited my friends from visiting, and second, he prohibited me from leaving some lonesome turret he trapped me in back home.” 

“That’s… absolutely horrible.”

Chanhee simply shrugged, sighing, and his eyes widened as he realized he was on Youngkyun’s lap - quickly scampering off it, his cheeks pink. He quickly mumbled embarrassed apologies, his ears burning as Youngkyun soon bursted into laughter. “W-Why are you laughing?” He huffed, panicking as he saw scales on his arms. He quickly swatted them away, seeing them fall with ease. 

Youngkyun maintained a wide, bright smile—wiping away tears of happiness—and he breathed out, “Your reaction to being in my lap was so, so cute. Your cheeks got pink, and I couldn’t help it. You looked so adorable.” 

“S-shush.” He flicked off more scales. “I’m not adorable. I’m horrendous, even more now with these scales-.”

“But, the scales are absolutely beautiful. They shimmer with sunlight, even more with the moonlight.” Youngkyun said. 

“T-They do not.”

“They do. You just haven’t seen it for yourself, Chanhee.” 

“Because I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“I… I don’t normally remember when I turn into a dragon. And when I did, yesterday, I felt like myself - except it wasn’t me, but in a dragon’s body. I could see my body, but I wasn’t in it currently.” Chanhee said quietly, gulping down saliva harshly. 

“...Chanhee…just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean your scales are hideous. Hell, you’re not hideous yourself.” 

Chanhee felt his face heat up, “You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not, and I’m staying beside you to protect you - if you want. You don’t deserve to be killed… you don’t deserve the same fate as the  _ ignis  _ dragon. You’re still human—you’re still you despite the fact you have a curse on you…” Youngkyun noticed Chanhee had blanked out. The two boys locked eyes, and he waved his hand in front of his eyes. “Chanhee??”

Chanhee did not respond.

“Chanheeeee.” Youngkyun flicked his forehead.

“Ow!” Chanhee quickly covered his forehead, feeling it sting. “That hurt!!” He huffed, pouting as he glared at the boy.

“Sorry, but you were too concentrated on something.” Youngkyun said.

“Ah… it’s just… I was thinking of your name. I’ve heard it before; it seems familiar to me. Have we met before?” Chanhee asked. 

Youngkyun said nothing, chewing on his lip, and soon he sighed, “I think your name is familiar. You look familiar as well, but I can’t put a finger on it.” He scratched behind his head, smiling awkwardly at Chanhee.

“...Well, um, what do we do? Are we seriously going to stay here forever just so I don’t get killed?” Chanhee snickered. 

Youngkyun fumed in embarrassment, “O-Of course not! I’ll take you to my hometown.” He got up, helping the boy up, “Let’s go.”

As soon as Chanhee began to stand up fully, he hissed in pain, feeling his back surge with stings. “I-It burns.” 

“...That’s where the guy cut you…” Youngkyun sighed. “Come on, on my back.” He squatted, putting his arms out backwards. 

“I-I’ll make you tired-.”

“Nonsense!”

Chanhee reluctantly got on, and he held onto Youngkyun - feeling the boy hold him tight and secure. “Let’s gooo.” 

They soon departed the hiding spot, going away from Chanhee’s village… going to a new place where hopefully Chanhee will be okay as long as he’s with Youngkyun. 


End file.
